This invention relates to a connector assembly for forming electrical connections to at least two circuit boards disposed in a substantially parallel surface-to-surface relationship, and to a circuit board assembly which comprises the connector assembly.
In conventional modular electronic packaging, it is known to arrange electronic components on daughter circuit boards, and to attach the daughter boards to a mother board through which electrical connections between daughter boards can be made. It is desirable to maintain as small as possible the space that is occupied by the circuit boards and components thereon; however close packing of the circuit boards can cause undesirable increase in operating temperature of the components because of heat emitted by the components. It is therefore customary to provide one or more heat sinks to dissipate heat from the circuit boards in an electronic package. In a preferred arrangement, circuit boards are provided in surface-to-surface contact one on each side of a planar heat sink. In this arrangement, connections between the circuit boards on opposite sides of the heat sink may be made through the mother board, or by means of flexible conductors that are attached, for example by means of solder, to contacts on the circuit boards.